Structuring agents (“structurant”) can be used as stabilizing and thickening agents for liquid compositions, e.g., liquid cleaning compositions. Structuring agents can provide a chemical network that reduces the tendency of the compositional components to coalesce and/or phase separate. Thus, structuring agents can be used to provide a liquid composition with desired viscosity and improved shelf life. However, a major challenge facing researchers is to develop a structurant that is compatible with a broad range of liquid compositions in developing a variety of potential consumer products.
Various structurants are known for providing rheological benefits to liquid compositions. Examples of desired benefits of such structurants include particle suspension, shear thinning properties, a thick appearance on the shelf, as well as stabilization of soluble and insoluble ingredients which are desired to be incorporated within the liquid composition. Known structurants include those derived from castor oil, fatty acids, esters, or fatty soap water-insoluble waxes. However, their usefulness with liquid compositions is limited due to degradation by ingredients such as enzymes, including lipase, cellulase, and the like. Polymeric structurants have also been used in such liquid compositions. However, they can result in a stringy pour profile that is undesirable to the consumer, particularly when “gel-like” viscosities are desired. Moreover, cellulose-based polymeric structurants are susceptible to various enzymes, such as cellulases.
As such, a need remains for a structurant that is compatible with a broad range of ingredients used in formulating liquid cleaning compositions such as enzymes while still achieving the desired rheological characteristics.